Measuring corsets or jackets



Dec. 11, 1962 R. JONES MEASURING CORSETS OR JACKETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1959 (Fla Elll Dec. 11, 1962 R. JONES MEASURING CORSETS OR JACKETS Filed July 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nmn 0m mm mm mg #MQW United States Patent 3,067,516 MEASURING CORSETS 0R JACKETS Ronald Jones, Sevres, France, assignor to Belle Jardiniere, Paris, France, a corporation of France Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,714 Claims priority, application France Feb. 25, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-15) The present invention relates to measuring corsets used in tailors workshops for rapidly obtaining in a precise manner numerical or graphical indications necessary in ascertaining the build or line of a person for whom a jacket or like garment is to be made.

The corset according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises a neck and shoulder harness having, on the one hand, a neck and shoulder band which surrounds the rear part of the neck and is extended forwardly respectively by two pliant measuring strips which are connected in an adjustable manner to the upper inner edge of the forward portions of the corset so as to support said inner edge, two shoulder tabs articulated to said neck and shoulder band on the line of the point of the neck and shoulders and extending along the shoulder up to the point of the shoulder, pliant and adjustable measuring strips respectively articulated to the centre of the neck and shoulder band and at the ends of each shoulder tab for supporting the rear portion of the corset, and two pliant and adjustable measuring strips respectively artic ulated to the end of said shoulder tabs for supporting the upper outer edge of the forward portions of the corset.

According to other features of the invention, the pliant measuring strip articulated to the rear mid-point of the neck and shoulder band is connected to the mid-point of the upper edge of the back of the corset, and the articulated mounting in the middle of the neck and shoulder band constitutes substantially a fixed point for positioning the assembly on the person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sliding fastener which can be used with said harness and is in this case adapted to be fixed to the edge of the corset and in which is slidable in an adjustable manner the corresponding pliant measuring strip, said sliding fastener being characterised in that it comprises a flat base which has a substantially rectangular general shape and is provided with fixing means permitting it to be fixed to the corset, the longitudinal edges of the base being bent up at 90 and acting as a support for a transverse pin and constituting a passageway for the passage of a measuring strip, and two clamping elements pivotably mounted on said pin and permitting the pliant measuring strip, which is slidable between the base and said cams, to be clamped against or released from said base.

The two clamping elements are identical and are mounted in opposite directions on the pin, each element consisting of a single member comprising: on the one hand, a sleeve whose length is a little less than half the length of the pin, said sleeves being mounted on the pin and defining with said base a space allowing passage of said pliant measuring strip, and, on the other hand, a clamping cam extending transversely along the length of the sleeve, and an actuating ear extending transversely over the entire width of the passageway, the two cams being biased against the measuring strip by the action of a spring mounted on the pin between the two sleeves,

the branches of the spring bearing against the two ears, the latter being in their normal position of rest disposed in the form of a V so that ordinarily the cams have a braking action on the measuring strip in both directions and a pressure exerted on the branches of the V for closing the latter raises the two cams and allows the measuring strip to move in both directions.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description with reference to the accompanying drawings to which the invention is in no way limited.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a corset according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the same corset;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the right half of the harness,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sliding fastener which can be used with said harness, some parts of the elements having been cut away for the sake of clarity, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shoulder portion of a modification of the harness.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the corset.

comprises a corset body 1 and a neck and shoulder harness 2. The corset body 1 has the general shape of a waistcoat consisting of an indeformable strong fabric comprising, for example, on each side of the middle line XX of the back and the middle line YY of the front 1 a forward piece 3, a side piece 4 and a back piece 5, these pieces being assembled by vertical or substantially vertical stitching such as the stitching 6 and 7. These pieces.

could be reinforced in the known manner by inner panels in any appropriate fabric.

The pieces comprising said assembly are cut out at 8 so as to form the arm-holes. The front middle line YY is constituted by a line of fasteners, such as the fastener 9 or other detachable connecting means.

According to an essential feature of the invention, the front portion and the back portion are not jointed together on the shoulder line; the back of this corset is limited at its upper end by an edge 10 which is substantially horizontal and is located a distance d; from the base of the neck, the distance a being about 1 to 2 decimetres.

Likewise, the front pieces are limited at the upper end by edges 11 located at a distance d from the shoulder line; the distance d could be about several centimetres or about a decimetre.

The region of the shoulders is therefore largely uncovered in a zone between the edge 10 and each of the edges 11.

These front and back parts are interconnected by the neck and shoulder harness 2 from which the corset body 13 constituting a first measuring strip carrying graduations 16 (FIG. 3).

Each of these measuring strips is fixed in an adjustable manner to the front portion of the corset by means of a sliding clamp or clip 17 (for example similar to the sliding clip of braces) fixed to the upper edge 11 of the front part of the corset.

Each shoulder tab 14 extends from the neck and shoulder band to the point of the shoulders and has an enlarged free end on which are articulated a second measuring strip 18 and a third measuring strip 18 which connect the shoulder tab to the forward edge 11 (FIG. 1) and the rear edge 10 (FIG. 2) of the corset, respectively. These measuring strips are connected to the edges 10 and 11 by means of clamps or clips 19' and 20 identical to the clamps 17. The two measuring strips 18 and 18 are separately articulated to each shoulder tab 14 by a common pivot pin 21 (FIG. 3) either permanently or in a detachable manner, for example by means of a tapped and knurled button 22 screwed on the pin 21 which is screw threaded.

A fourth pliant measuring strip 25 similar to the measuring strip 18 and 18 is articulated t the centre 24 of the neck and shoulder band and adjustably fixed in the middle of the upper edge 10 of the back of the corset by a clamp 26 similar to the clamps 17 and 20.

Each of the measuring strips carries a scale similar to the scales 16, the zero point of which coincides with the point of attachment of this measuring strip in this clamp for a normal build corresponding to the size of the corset. Graduations marked on either side of the zero correspond to positive and negative indications showing the effective length of the measuring strip after adjustment of the corset.

The measuring strips 18 and 18 and 25 can be composed of inextensible pliant plastic material or metal, for example spring steel, brass or bronze.

As can be seen, the corset comprises four measuring strips of adjustable length, 18 13 13 18 (FIG. 1), on the front side, and three measuring strips of adjustable length, 18 25, 18 (FIG. 2), on the rear side.

The corset also includes a spirit level 27 sewn onto its lower edge which permits ensuring that this edge is horizontal.

The clamps 17, 19, 20, 26 of known type could be advantageously replaced by sliding fasteners or clamps 30 shown in FIG. 4.

Each of these fasteners comprises a flat base 31 having cars 32 by means of which it is fixed to the corset. The longitudinal edges 33 of this base are bent up at 90 and act as a support for a transverse pin 34 on which are pivotably mounted two blocking or clamping elements 35 35 which are identical and are mounted in opposite directions on the pin 34. Each element consists of a member having a sleeve 36 whose length is a little less than half the length of the pin 34 so that a spring 37 can be interposed between these two sleeves. These two sleeves and the base 31 define a passageway through which is slidable a pliant measuring strip such a the measuring strip 17.

The clamping element also comprises: a cam 38 having the same length as the sleeve and whose part-cylindrical portion 38 bears against the surface of the measuring strip, and an actuating car 39 whose width corresponds to the distance between the edges 33. The portion of the car 39 which is not directly attached to the sleeve has a radial height which is such that it clears the sleeve of the other clamping element, as can be seen on the left element as viewed in FIG. 4 (a portion of the ear has been cut away from the right element).

The shape of these elements is such that in their normal position of rest, the ears 39 are urged apart by the ends of the spring 37 which bears against the faces of these cars as shown at 37 Thus the cams bear against the measuring strip and prevent it sliding in either direction. The wedging effect of the cams is rendered even more effective if the part-cylindrical face of the cam is provided with transverse ridges.

When the two branches of the V formed by the ears 39 are urged together so as to close this V, the cams pivot about the pin 34 and move away from the surface of the measuring strip which is thus released for movement in both directions.

It will be observed that the ears provide large pressureapplying surfaces for the fingers of the user.

This sliding fastener can thus be easily operated between the thumb and the index finger and furthermore does not damage the surface of the measuring strip.

The corset according to the invention can be constructed in various sizes each of which corresponds to an average build which is adopted as the normal build.

The articulated mounting 24 in the middle of the neck and shoulder band constitutes a substantially fixed point for placing the assembly in position, and the required modifications to said theoretical build in the making up of the garment are effected by taking care that the front and rear parts of the corset carried by the person to be clothed or fitted are vertical, the adjustment being carried out therefore on the neck and shoulder point and on the shoulder point, the extent of the modifications being indicated in value and sign by reading off the graduations in front of the corresponding piece.

The indications furnished can be used either for cutting the cloth of a coat or like garment or for making up a pattern obtained by marking out a contour from a cardboard pattern corresponding to the normal shape of the corset, the marking out being corrected so as to take into account the readings of the scales on the measuring strips. This pattern corresponds to the build of the client to be clothed and can be stored and used for cuting out garments for this client.

The graduations could be eliminated and replaced by photosensitive sheets of paper 40 (FIG. 5) fixed to the harness and covered to a varying extent by the upper edges of the corset; these sheets of paper are printed by exposure to a source of ultra-violet rays thereby automatically recording the positions of the two edges relative to the lines of the shoulders. Photosensitive papers suitable for the use described are well known in the art, for example, the Ozalid paper manufactured under a plurality of patents, one of which is U.S. Patent No. 2,560,137.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improved corset assembly for marking out cloths from which a garment is to be made, comprising a corset having a rear portion and two front portions, a neck and shoulder harness; comprising, a neck and shoulder band adapted to surround the back part of the neck and the upper side of the shoulders, and adjustable supporting and measuring means connected to said neck and shoulder band and to the upper edges of said rear and front portions, for adjustably supporting the corset and a sheet of paper, photosensitive to ultra-violet light, fixed to the harness and covered to a varying extent by the upper edges of said corset whereby the relative positions of said corset front and rear portions as thus supported by said harness is indicated on said paper.

2. An improved corset assembly for marking out cloths from which a garment is to be made, comprising a corset having a rear portion and two front portions, and, a neck and shoulder harness, said harness comprising a neck and shoulder band adapted to surround the back part of the neck and the upper side of the shoulders, and adjustable supporting and measuring means connected to said neck and shoulder band and to the upper edges of said rear and front portions for adjustably supporting the corset; a spirit-level fixed onto the lower edge of said corset for adjusting the corset assembly horizontally, and a sheet of paper photosensitive to ultra-violet light fixed to the harness and covered to a varying extent by the upper edges of said corset whereby when said photosensitive paper is exposed and fixed in said positions, the relative position of said corset portions and harness is indicated.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 526,380 Christiansen Sept. 25, 1894 633,654 Melick Sept. 26, 1899 862,571 Mathers Aug. 6, 1907 10 1,157,085 Cohen Oct. 19, 1915 6 Meas Apr. 10, 1917 Bushlowitz Mar. 18, 1924 Fichtol Feb. 1, 1938 Dowd Feb. 20, 1940 Ciel-i Feb. 11, 1941 Kiessling Nov. 28, 1944 Legat Dec. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy Apr. 2, 1948 Italy Mar. 28, 1955 

